Agenda item

Members heard an update on the culture strategy that set out the following strategies:

-        Baseline mapping of:

-        Cultural assets (within CoLC and outside)

-        Existing cultural infrastructure organisations

-        Existing events calendars;

-        Data mapping of existing audience and visitor research and review of existing CoLC strategies (City Plan, City Belonging);

•       Review of existing/ neighbouring strategies (BIDs, GLA, other London boroughs); 

•       Identify stakeholders for series of stakeholder consultation workshops (to include committees, residents, workers, CoLC staff, cultural organisations, BIDs and assets);

•       Begin stakeholder consultation process; and

•       Create and recruit Culture Director post.

1. Keep going with existing operational commitments

Ensure the Culture team has correct interim structure to continue working on existing projects; engage with Destination City SRO on organisational design proposals; and

2. Develop culture strategy in consultation

Identify the resourcing implications – eg an external agency as facilitator of the proposed consultations and to complete data mapping (probably a combination of in-house v outsourced).

Members commented on the merits of being clear about what is understood by the term ‘culture’ (for the purposes of the Committee) upstream of the production of a cultural strategy, noting also that a definition has been considered previously. The meeting noted that the cultural strategy is expected to be defined imminently now that a Senior Responsible Officer is in place (as of approximately a month ago), who is expected to bring together previous definitions of the term used and referenced by the City of London Corporation ahead of formulating and presenting to the Committee a definition and a strategy.

A Member asked when a draft cultural strategy might be ready. The meeting heard that a cultural strategy is expected to be produced by March 2025, taking into account the above steps that is to be a short, high-level piece.  A Member pointed out that referencing the City’s previous cultural strategy would be a worthy exercise, as well as some of the information circulated as part of the workstreams to feed into the strategy’s development. The meeting noted that the SRO Culture’s focus areas include: the establishment of an Awayday for the Committee before the end of 2024 to accelerate the process (to include strategy and definitions); mapping exercises; and the plethora of cultural plans already in existence on the Square Mile.  

In response to a question on details of the proposed Culture Director post, the meeting heard that the post is expected to be a full-time role, and that the Culture SRO 0.2 post acts as an enabler of the cultural strategy to draw together the resources to achieve a coherent cultural strategy to include the appointment of a full-time Cultural Director.

On the question of what is meant by a ‘culture team’, the meeting heard that the resources and position would be brought to future Committee meetings.